Seema Dal braves it out in Uttarakhand tough terrain

NEW DELHI: The Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) while guarding the border in Uttarakhand is also dealing with the problems in the hill state which include tough weather conditions and migration of population from the border areas to other places.

The SSB director general S.S. Deswal said that migration of population is not only a socio-economic problem but is also a security threat as the force gets the locals’ help to gather  intelligence.

SSB is now spread along the international border across UP, Bihar, West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. It  guards the 1751-km-long Indo-Nepal border along the states of Uttarakhand, (263.7 km with 3 districts).

Inadequate education and health facilities and absence of employment opportunities are the primary reasons for the migration of population from Uttarakhand to other parts of the country.

“Migration of population is a socio-economic problem but it certainly  affects the security forces like us. We are there not only to protect border but also people. This civil administration is responsible to solve this problem but as a paramilitary force, the SSB has been doing its duty by running several camps which provide them medical facilities, education facilities and skill development to earn their livelihood in the remote areas. With such initiative we are giving them a sense of assurance that we are with them always at any condition,” said Deswal.

The alarming de-population of villages in remote and border areas has raised security concern in  the borders falling along  the hill districts of Uttarakhand.

This is in fact, a serious policy challenge that deserves immediate attention.

As per the 2011 census, only 17% population in the nine hill districts in Uttarakhand lives in urban areas compared to 42% (population) in the  the remaining three plain districts.